Community Safety Overall crime has increased by 4.2% (+794 crimes) since April 2015. Serious Acquisitive Crime is showing a reduction of 2.6% (-66 crimes). The primary performance issue remains theft of motor vehicles, and more specifically motorcycles, which has risen by 28.8% (+80 crimes) since March 2015. Violence against the person has increased by 22.2% (+1033 crimes). Anti-Social Behaviour continues to show a good reduction, decreasing by 13.0% (-1727 incidents) since April 2015 with personal Anti-Social Behaviour incidents reducing by 11.9% (-537 incidents), nuisance by 10.8% (-748 incidents) and environmental by 23.9% (-442 incidents).

Consultation for the Public Spaces Protection Orders concludes on 27th December. Proposals see the re-draft of the Designated Public Places Order for drinking in the street and Dog Control orders, also proposals to manage busking, street begging, flyposting, urinating in the street and the illegal sale of cars on public land.

Pre-Christmas ‘Keep Yourself Free from Crime’ events held at Market Street Community Rooms, St Johns Accommodation, Kings Heath Hub and Spring Boroughs Hub. Cyclops event in the Grosvenor Centre was supported by carrying out security bike marking.

The first Restorative Justice conference for NBC is due to be held on 16th December. Two more facilitators have been trained and we have been working closely with Groundworks who oversee Restorative Practices across the county.

Bridge Street closures were put in place for Christmas Eve, Boxing night, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day from 11pm until 4.30am.

Forums December was again a busy month for the forums supporting a range of events. World AIDS day ceremony was delivered on the 1 December in the Guildhall Courtyard.

A market place event was held in the One Stop Shop for International Day for People with Disabilities on 3 December 2015. This was the first time such an event was held by the forum and was a great success. Around 16 organisations took part – organisations included Health Watch, NAB, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Northamptonshire Police, Autism Concern, Alzheimers Society, Northamptonshire Carers, Call Care, Local Offer, Northamptonshire Sport and the Northamptonshire Polio Fellowship, amongst others. Workshops were also delivered – NREC offered a workshop on Hate Crime Awareness, and Deafhub offered a workshop on Deaf Awareness and sign language. Feedback from the event was very positive; participants commented that such joined up awareness rising and public engagement was a positive step forward. As a result, there has been a rise in interest and attendance figures at the forum. The Disabled Peoples Forum, supported by the Partnerships and Communities Team now plans to deliver this event annually, but may need to look at alternative locations due to the number of organisations who have requested to take part.

Holocaust Memorial Day is being delivered on Thursday 27 January, which will include a ceremony at 12 noon in the Courtyard, and also an evening event to mark the day. Various schools and community groups will be taking part. Plans are now being progressed for future forum events, including International Women’s Day in March, International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia in May, and a Health and Wellbeing Day in the beginning of June.

Councillor Anna King Cabinet Member for Community Safety